Fact Check: Did Purbaya Cry After Being Removed as Finance Minister? - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A photo of former Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa appearing to cry has circulated on Facebook [archived], Instagram, and TikTok since September 15, 2026, following his removal from the Red and White Cabinet. The accompanying narrative claims Purbaya was dismissed after a dispute arose because Danantara refused to deposit Rp120 trillion into the state treasury.
Is the photo of Purbaya crying authentic?
Tempo verified the photo using reverse image searches, AI detection tools, and comparisons with credible sources. The results indicate that the photo of Purbaya crying is content generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
A visual inspection reveals that the photo's background matches documentation from the Jakarta Globe. The photo was taken when Purbaya was holding the "APBN KiTa" press conference at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Central Jakarta on June 5, 2026—a time when he was still serving as Minister of Finance.
Similarities are evident in the tie pattern, the white chair, and the man standing behind Purbaya. Based on these details, Tempo located the video of the event, which was broadcast on the IDX Channel. After reviewing the video—which lasts nearly two hours—it was found that there was no moment where Purbaya cried during the press conference.
The photo of Purbaya giving a press conference appears to have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI). Analysis by the Truth Scan tool concluded there is a 92 percent probability that it is AI-generated.
Furthermore, detection results from Hive Moderation indicate a 99.7 percent probability that the photo was created using AI.
Purbaya acknowledged that his dismissal was partly influenced by a decision to reshuffle Ministry of Finance personnel, a move that had sparked internal conflict. On Thursday, September 10, 2026, Purbaya rotated approximately 400 Echelon I and II officials into functional roles across the Ministry of Finance's directorates-general and Public Service Agencies (BLU).
A Tempo report revealed that the dismissal was also triggered by a strained relationship between Purbaya and former Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo. Tensions arose when the government sought to inject liquidity, conflicting with BI's efforts to tighten policy in order to curb the rupiah's depreciation.
Furthermore, there had previously been a lack of alignment between Purbaya and Danantara regarding the plan for Danantara to remit profits to the government.
Rosan Roeslani, CEO of the Danantara Investment Management Agency (BPI), stated that there had been no discussion regarding the planned remittance to the government. In contrast, Purbaya had stated that Danantara would remit Rp120 trillion to the 2026 State Budget (APBN).
Tempo concludes that the photo showing Purbaya weeping after being dismissed following a clash with Danantara contains false information. The image was created using artificial intelligence (AI).
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